1865—1870 165 



He is planning out his future sericiculture campaign, receives 

 many callers without too much fatigue, converses brightly and 

 often dictates letters/' 



One visit was a great pleasure to Pasteur — that of the 

 Minister, his cordial friend, Duruy, who brought him good 

 news of the future of Higher Education. The augmented 

 credit which was granted in the 1869 budget would make it 

 possible to rebuild other laboratories besides that of the Ecole 

 Normale, and also to create in other places new centres of 

 study and research. After so many efforts and struggles, it 

 was at last possible to foresee the day when chemistry, physics, 

 physiology, natural history and mathematics would each have 

 an independent department in a great province, which should 

 be called the Practical School of Higher Studies. There 

 would be no constraint, no hard and fast rules, no curriculum 

 but that of free study: young men who were attracted to 

 pure science, and others who preferred practical application, 

 would find a congenial career before them as well as those 

 who desired to give themselves up to teaching. It can well 

 be imagined with what delight Pasteur heard these good 

 tidings. 



The bulletins continued to be favourable: *' (December 15): 

 Progress slow but sure: he has walked from his bed to his 

 armchair with some assistance. (December 22) : he has gone 

 into the dining-room for dinner, leaning on a chair. (29th) : 

 he has walked a few steps without support." 



Pasteur saw in his convalescence but the returning means 

 of working, and declared himself ready to start again for the 

 neighbourhood of Alais at once, instead of taking the few 

 months' rest he was advised to have. 



He urged that, after certain moths and chrysalides, had been 

 examined through a microscope, complete certainty would be 

 acquired as to the condition of their seed, and that perfect 

 seed would therefore become accessible to all tradesmen both 

 great and small; would it not be absurd and culpable to let 

 reasons of personal health interfere with saving so many poor 

 people from ruin? 



His family had to give way, and on January 18, exactly 

 three months after his paralytic stroke, he was taken to the 

 Gare de Lyon by his wife and daughter and M. Gernez. He 

 then travelled, lying on the cushions of a coupe carriage, as far 

 as Alaif;', and drove from Alais to St. Hippolyte le Fort, where 



